Man on the Moon Comes Down to Earth

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Author: Dylan Bos-Dowlen

Feature film “Man On The Moon: The End of Day,” based off the widespread T.V. show “A Kid Named Cudi,” is now airing. Come get your copies.

By pairing complicated emotions with slow, rhythmic beats, Scott Ramon Segring Mescudi (Kid Cudi) has stormed onto the national scene. Always trying to put a personal spin on his actions, Kid Cudi is promoting his breakthrough CD/DVD as if it were a movie. With expository songs and rising songs, climactic songs and then falling songs, Kid Cudi has framed the songs on “Man On The Moon: The End of Day” like a plot line.

Cudi opens up with “In My Dreams,” a narration by fellow rapper Common and “Soundtrack 2 My Life.” These songs are the opening scene, placing the listener in Cudi’s life as he wants it to be seen. As in the opening scene of a movie, these songs introduce the main characters, Kid Cudi and his unnamed enemies. It also establishes the internal conflict and the final hopeful message that Cudi guides us through in his CD. Cudi expresses his inhibitions through his lyrics and beats. Cudi opens the album’s rapping with: “I got 99 problems and they’re all bitches” (“Soundtrack 2 My Life”), a unique twist on the famous Jay-Z song “99 Problems.”

The set of songs “Simple As . . . ” “Solo Dolo,” “Heart of a Lion (KiD CuDi Theme Music),” “My World (Ft. Billy Cravens),” “Day n Nite,” “Sky Might Fall,” “Enter Galactic (Love Connection Part 1)” and “Alive (Ft. Ratatat)” are the rising action. They are based on Cudi’s coping with everyday problems and deeper struggles. Some, like “Heart of a Lion” and “Sky Might Fall,” deal with Cudi standing up to societal pressures and being himself, while others like “Solo Dolo” and “Day n Nite” (his most famous song) describe being defeated by the struggles he faces.

Eventually, Kid Cudi arrives at his thesis and the CD’s climax in “Cudi Zone,” realizing that he just needs to be himself and all else will fall away. The song’s lyrics “It don’t really matter just where you from/All that really matter is where you’re gon’ go,” explicitly state that Cudi is healing from his past wounds and moving toward the future. He does not plan on letting other people affect who he is and how he views himself. Now, he plans to live life to its fullest.

The album’s final tracks exhibit a falling action. They have a much more upbeat tone – not only the lyrics, but also the beats. “Make Her Say (Ft. Kanye West & Common),” “Pursuit of Happiness (Ft. MGMT & Ratatat)” and “Hyyerr (Ft. Chip Tha Ripper)” are all about enjoying all that life has to offer. One cannot help but smile while singing along to “I’m on the pursuit of happiness and I know everything that shine ain’t always gonna be gold” (“Pursuit of Happiness”).

To finish, Cudi says, “At the end of the day, they’re going to judge me anyway,” (“Up Up & Away”) suggesting that the best thing to do is forget all of your problems and just be true to yourself. These lyrics sum up the mantra of his CD. However, there is no denouement in this album. The story is not tied up neatly; instead, the last song leaves the listener waiting for more to come. This is done purposefully, however, because Cudi has planned this CD to be the first in a series of three.

Kid Cudi does not attract his audiences with catchy, chorus-filled songs or by rebelling against the system. Rather, he engages his listeners by relating to them on a personal level. A wide range of emotions defines this CD and separates it from the other albums released this year. Kid Cudi’s beats will make you pause and listen, and his honest accessibility will have you playing his tracks again and again.

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